New Delhi: Perfume Industry suffers loss amid COVID-19 lockdown

The fragrance markets in Delhi's Connaught's place are suffering losses due to lack of customers amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The shop owners said that there is a lack of stock due to restrictions imposed on transportation.

New Delhi:The perfume industry in the national capital has been feeling the pinch of two-month long extended lockdown in the country in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The perfume markets in Delhi's Connaught's place, known for various brands of perfumes and fragrances, which once witnessed huge crowds now wear a deserted look. The perfume shops in CP's Janpat area, Vasu Handicraft famous for its hundred varieties of fragrance is now incurring huge losses due to fall in the customer demand and paradigm shift in the customer behaviour. The pandemic has brought a major change in the mindset of the customer and the value system as people have restricted their purchasing power.

Although the perfume shops in Delhi has started opening up gradually after three months of prolonged nationwide lockdown, there are no customers which has added to the woes of the shop owners.

While speaking to ETV Bharat, Bharat Bhushan, one of the shop owners, said ,"We started opening our shops from June 1 but we do not have any customers. People from far and wide used to visit our shops for perfumes but now we struggle for customers. Shops in the area have around 84 varieties of perfumes and ittars which attract customers as they are produced using natural ingredients and with the help of traditional methods. We keep unadulterated perfumes."

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Talking about the types of customers, Bhushan added, "Shops in Janpat market attract people from foreign countries and abroad who usually stay in luxury hotels and plush properties. But now, due to restrictions imposed on global travel we hardly get any customers."

Speaking on the lack of stock of goods, the shop owner narrated, "Most of our stock of perfumes and handicraft come from Uttar Pradesh and southern India. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, transportation is also affected which has led to stock crisis too."

The local shop owners said that the perfume business has taken a major hit and the next three to four months will be tough for the community, adding that the government should provide financial assistance.